


6 Years Later (Homeless Again Sequel)

by dmux86



Series: One Wrong Kiss... More Then One Path Forward [5]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Feels, Character Death, Exes, F/M, Gen, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Break Up, Riverdale Season 5, The Author Regrets Everything, Wakes & Funerals, canon compliant though 4x17, jeronica friendship only, references to barchie, riverdale speculation, riverdale spoilers, serpent queen toni topaz
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:00:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23668012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmux86/pseuds/dmux86
Summary: EDIT:Just in case anyone cares, not going to be updating this anytime soon. The supposed Bughead (or more accurately Betty + some dark haired OC that has nothing in common with canon Jughead) fandom is just... very tiring... so stepping away.Sort of a sequel to Homeless Again (but don't have to read that to understand what is happening here), sort of speculation on Season Five, sort of me just getting ideas out there during this wonderful time of quarantine and Riverdale going off the deep end.There may or may not be happy endings here, but fair warning the beginning is about as unhappy as you can get.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge (past), Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones (past), Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz (background), Jughead Jones & Veronica Lodge
Series: One Wrong Kiss... More Then One Path Forward [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697050
Comments: 17
Kudos: 46





	1. Liars

It had been six years, literally down to the day, since he left The Town With Pep and over five years since he had been anywhere east of Indiana or north of Virginia

It was shit like this that occasionally made Jughead Jones, or simply Jones as he usually asked to be called these days, wonder if his life was real or just some poorly written soap opera. Though if it was the past six seasons must have been quite boring given his routine: riding his bike till he found work, working till he could afford a place to sleep and something to drink, drinking till he lost the job, and then sobering up enough to drive off again and start the cycle over. Not exactly the thrilling adventures of his teens anymore.

But as he parked his bike at the cheap hotel a few miles from Pop's, a light rain falling, he knew this was all too real. The voicemails and texts from Alice, the day sobering up enough to ride and the three days driving up from wherever the hell he was in Oklahoma, even the brief stop in Toledo to see if Gladys was at the junkyard since nobody had heard from her in years. He couldn't pretend he wasn't relieved not to have found his estranged mother, though he hoped he continued not to find her if she found out she was missing this.

Tomorrow he would have to wear black... not that this was unusual for him... and be sober enough to show up at the graveyard for an hour or two and then the last ties he had to this wicked little town would be fully severed. 

Or at least it would be if his stupid conspiracy seeking brain would shut the fuck up. It was supposedly a hit and run accident, they just hadn't found the driver or owner of the 'large commercial truck' responsible. It could be simple incompetence... given that Chuck Clayton of all people was the deputy in charge... though Alice assured him the new Sheriff was reasonably capable and at least not flagrantly corrupt. "Just another reason to get a drink, take your mind off that nonsense" he muttered to himself as he often did, having nobody to speak else to anymore.

After checking into the dingy third floor room, leaving his two meager bags by the bed, he made a quick run to the nearest convenience store to get a twelve pack of beer and a few cheap hot dogs. He was close enough to Pop's to walk but had no desire for the potential public spectacle that could make. 

Telling himself to save most of the beers for tomorrow night he sat in the chair, he shed his plain leather jacket while turning on the TV to TCM with the volume low enough to hear the rain, his pre-paid phone silent expect for a single text saying **Got into town around noon, here if you need me** that he politely ignored, knowing he would see Ronnie tomorrow, again for only the third time in the past six years... though she was the only living person at the funeral he was still in contact with at all. 

Just as he opened his second beer his hotel room door swung up without even so much as knock, and years worth of anger and longing boiled up instantly at the sight of the blonde girl who walked in like she was supposed to be here too. Like they still shared rooms and beds and words and texts and kisses and dreams. Like she hadn't ripped his heart out and let his one-time blood brother step on it. Like she didn't look more beautiful than ever in a dark blue sweater and jeans, her makeup as minimal as ever but her hair down and styled like this was how she always wore it. 

"What the fuck do you want?" he asked in a growl, adding more to himself "And how did you get in... I made sure they used cards not keys" 

Betty simply held up a white key card in her left hand that Jughead couldn't help notice was surprisingly lacking in jewelry "Swiped it from a cleaning lady earlier after Mom told me where you were staying...", trailing off awkwardly. Alice had offered to let him stay at the house, especially since there was a good chance it was now legally his, but he had less than zero desire to ever see Elm Street again much less sleep under the same roof as the blonde family who lived there.

"As for what I want, I just... wanted to make sure you were here safely. And to see if you were as... as curious as I am... about what happened" she explained softly, calmly, reminding him so much of the caring girl he fell in love with. 

"What, you think we're going to snooping around again? Breaking into cars and setting up a murder board in the bunker like old times?" Jughead scoffed with an eye roll, running his fingers through his long dark hair and making a note to shower properly tomorrow and shave as well, "If I thought there was something to investigate, you would be the last... well second to last... person I would ever ask for help. I don't trust you, not with anything that matters. You are a liar, that's all you are to me anymore Elizabeth"

Betty nodded, looking away sadly before adding "If you change your mind Juggie, I'll be there tomorrow with my mom and staying through the weekend", glancing up at him with those big green eyes before meekly heading for the door.

"And you shouldn't trust me either" he called after her, making her look back with her hand on the knob, "seeing that I lied too, even before you did" he explained, making a show of lifting the beer bottle to his lips and taking a long swallow before informing her coldly "We are most definitely our parents" before turning away and increasing the volume on the TV till he was certain she was gone and he could drink himself to sleep, angry at her and Archie for ruining everything.

Angry at himself for letting his anger at them keep him away so long.

Angry that he never got to see his sister or father again after the night he stormed out of the house for the last time.


	2. Black

Jughead's phone and the room alarm clock both started blaring at exactly the same as he'd planned, and he blinked away the sleep and confusion about where he was as he sat up... quickly wishing he hadn't as he remembered where he was and why.

Riverdale...

To say goodbye to his family...

With a longing look towards the fridge and the beers left on top of it, he got up and made a quick cheap cup of coffee in the machine in the room, waiting for it to cool enough to down in three gulps, then made his way to the bathroom, showering but not bothering to shave... he never quite managed FP's charming scruff but a bit of a shadow worked for today's purposes, and it wasn't like he had anyone to impress.

Or perhaps he remembered the only one he had ever wanted to impress mentioning she liked when he skipped a day on shaving, but he'd never admit that even to himself.

As he walked back into the room he saw a message on this phone **Be there at 10 to pick you up, not letting you ride today** and rolled his eyes at his surprisingly protective friend before sending back **Better have coffee as black as your car** and getting dressed in his only half-decent button up shirt, still a bit wrinkled from being in his bag, and his cleaner pair of jeans... the riding boots and leather jacket going on last. For a moment he glanced at himself in the mirror, seeing someone he didn't fully recognize... especially as he turned around and saw the plain dark expanse of leather behind his back.

Part of him wished he had a Serpent skin to wear for this... he had given up the royal title and corresponding double-headed emblem the day he'd left Riverdale behind... but it still felt odd to wear leather in this town without some sort of green patch on his back.

Shaking the thought away he made sure his phone was fully charged, browsing the news on the slow hotel WiFi to keep his mind off of the funeral, off the fact that JB's graduation from school should have been his first excuse to come back in a month, off the memories of the (entirely hypocritical) disappointment in his father's voice anytime he answered the phone drunk. Finally at ten till ten he made his way outside, leaving the do-no-disturb marker on his door as he walked down to the lobby and outside, finding a black full sized SUV outside, the rear passenger door open and an objectively gorgeous young lady waiting with two cups of coffee in hand.

"Veronica" he murmured softly taking the offered Pop's cup in his right hand while his left arm wrapped around her shoulders as she hugged him around the waist.

"Not going to bother asking how you are" the brown eyed girl said with a sad smile, "But I'm here for anything you need Jones"

Jughead nodded and helped her into the back of the car, joining her as she directed Smithers, who is apparently the old Smither's nephew or something... Jughead tunes out the explanation for the barely middle aged man driving... to take them to the cemetery slowly. They arrive to find a small crowd already present, most of them wearing leather jackets, and nearly all of them nod and step aside as Jughead walks through them to the seats by the dual grave site. There's plenty of open space around the two graves being filled today and he idly wonders if Alice has bought enough plots for their whole screwed up family.

They get to the front row and the blonde matriarch herself is right there, every bit the grieving widow even though as far as Jughead knows they never made anything official. Betty is on her right, thankfully too focused on her mother to try and greet her ex, while Polly and Cheryl look after the twins to Alice's left. Seeing the infamous red hair and jacket of the last Blossom, he glances around for the other half of the boldly feminine pair even as Toni steps out from the crowd of leather and flannel.

"Hey there Jones" she says softly with damp eyes, Sweet Pea and Fangs looking up and nodding in greeting as their Queen... or King... or whichever title she ended up going with... closes the distance to their former leader. The small girl, whose hair is as pink as ever but a good bit shorter, gives him a quick hug and then nods at Ronnie, saying "You two and I will sit up here with the Smith-Coopers" and the two dark haired mourners nod in agreement.

Jughead ends up on the one end of the front row, completely separated from Betty, with Ronnie and the current Serpent royal couple serving as a buffer between himself and the blondes at the other end, and can't help but wonder how much of a plan that was and who made it, before the minister steps up and the service begins, distracting the young man from all other thoughts and his surroundings.

Including the redheaded young man who quietly sits in the empty back row, wanting to say goodbye to a man he'd known since he was in diapers... but not wanting to cause a scene.


	3. Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New POV for this fic, hope you guys like it
> 
> Comments always appreciated

Seeing Betty at the funeral confirmed something Veronica Lodge has suspected... the betrayal of her one time bestie no longer truly hurt. There was a dull ache when those big green eyes looked up from Alice and met V's dark ones briefly, but the Manhattan native looked away and swallowed it down to focus on Jughead.

He wasn't really her best friend... Kevin and Renee and sometimes Katy vied for that honor these days... but he was perhaps the only person in her entire life who had never lied to her. His honestly was at times brutal and painful but he didn't falsely flatter or go back on his word like so many had over the years, from her own parents to the blonde she could feel watching them as Ronnie sat as close to Jughead as the folding chairs would allow. 

Veronica valued that so much as she navigated college and the transition to adulthood, texting him for advice (and of course to make sure he hadn't gotten himself killed) on the prepaid phone he had bought after leaving town six years ago and even meeting up a few times when she happened to be travelling close to wherever he was on the 'road trip of angst' as she liked to call it... that she was one of three numbers from his old life that he'd kept meant the world to Veronica, and she would be there for him now that she was the only one he could talk to at all

The service was not terribly elaborate, fundamentally similar to the fake funeral they'd held for Jughead though actually at a cemetery this time, and while Toni and a few other Serpents and young friends of JB's spoke, Jughead did not, the former gang leader merely listening and trying to act stoic (though Ronnie knew him well enough to see past it). The facade finally cracked and he started blinking away tears as teenage girl who looked vaguely like Reggie talked about their plans to go to Penn State in the fall and she could hear Jug muttering... something about a curse and graduating... but didn't ask. 

Veronica had no idea how much time had past as the funeral came to an end and the crowd slowly dispersed, letting go of her old friend so he could wipe his eyes even as Alice cautiously approached. The blonde woman still looked gorgeous despite the obvious grief on her face, and she smiled sadly as Jughead stood and surprisingly pulled her into a hug.

"Wow... that's new... " muttered Toni as Alice's daughters and grandchildren hung back awkwardly, though Betty and Polly were clearly just as surprised by the hug as anyone. It was only now that Veronica realized Charles wasn't here, and she wasn't sure why though she vaguely recalled some sort of blowup shortly after Jughead left and Veronica had blocked everyone who lived on Elm Street from texting or calling her.

Jughead let go of Alice and asked softly "Do you know if... is there a will or anything?" 

She nodded in response, saying with a voice that croaked from grief "Yes. We'll be reading it on Monday afternoon at Sierra's office. I know he updated it when JB turned 18 but not sure what... what will happen since she... ", trailing off with sob but the tall lean man in front of her nodded and said simply "I will be there" before retreating, clearly in no mood to interact with anyone else as Polly tried to interject with an offer to come to the wake... though it seemed his sharp blue eyes flickered over towards Betty before he turned.

"We will see you Monday afternoon" Veronica add with as polite of a smile as she could manage before following after her friend and hooking her arm into his... and immediately regretting it as her eyes moved from Jughead to see where they were going. 

The phrase 'seeing red' had never felt so literal as when the Ginger Judas stood in front of the two people he had betrayed, his body as athletic looking as ever under the tailored black suit, eyes brown and soft as he said "I am so sorry Jug" but was cut off

"Don't... just... don't... " Jughead stammered, anger mixing with his grief, and Ronnie gripped his arm tighter to guide them around the interruption, her own heart racing even as she noticed Fangs and Sweet Pea stepping closer, all of them obviously remembering Jughead's last day of high school and ready to step in before things got out of hand.

Apparently in the past half decade Archibald Andrews had learned a bit of tact and stepped out of the way, glancing down at his shoes and adding softly "Still at the house if you ever want to talk... either of you... ", addressing his ex girlfriend for the first time but she was in no mood to deal with him and she all but dragged the beanie-less outsider away, saying loud enough for everyone watching to hear "Come on Jones, let's go get some Pop's", hoping everyone, but especially the ones who they didn't want or even need to talk to, would stay away at least long enough to let them eat in peace.

Being back in Riverdale was exhausting, and she'd barely spent twenty four hours in town... and now she had to last through Friday and the weekend if only to keep Jughead from doing anything too foolish.


	4. Betty's Boys

Betty was exhausted, between staying up all night thinking about Juggie, looking after her mother at the funeral, and helping Polly with the thankfully brief wake at the house she was about ready to collapse even though it was only mid afternoon as Betty say on the couch, taking a moment to think after everyone had left.

Her sister had returned to the small house that ironically Charles had bought when he came to town back in senior year, before his involvement in the tapes and with Chic had come to light... he'd sold the place to Alice for a pittance, or possibly penance, when he'd been fired by the FBI and briefly spent time in jail. Last she heard he was somewhere in Florida and hadn't chosen to come to the funeral despite Alice (who was still after all these years the strangest mix of judgmental and unable to let go of her family) attempting to keep in touch.

But she didn't have time to worry about her older half brother as the three most important men in her 23 year long life, or at least the most important ones still alive, were on her mind.

Archie had briefly spoken to her after the funeral, asking if she thought their high school sweethearts (though he didn't use that term) would ever forgive or even speak to them... and she pointed out that the two of them spending time together probably wouldn't help the cause and walked away before trying to decipher the mix of nostalgia, love, and pain in his brown eyes. She'd never truly blamed Archie... it took two to tango and all of that... but she hadn't spent more than a few minutes with him over the past few years and given the choice she'd prefer to have Jughead back in her life even just as a friend than reconnect with Archie... and as screwed up as it was this weekend was probably her last chance to even attempt that.

After her high school sweetheart had found out about the kiss, and the confused period that followed for Betty, he had run... and any doubts about how she felt fled with him. She wanted him back in her life... as her husband, as her lover, or even just as her best friend if that's all she could get. All those positions had been left vacant as she'd gone off to Yale, studying hard and getting some much needed therapy sessions. She'd ended up on a few dates... mostly by accident or as a third wheels getting paired off to make a double date... but if anything those few encounters (that never progressed past awkward hugs and shying away from kisses) had only made her miss Juggie more

Nearly once a week she dreamed of going back in time and preventing herself from going to the Andrews garage, wondering how different things would be now especially today... if Jughead would be in her arms as she sat on the couch in the house they used to share, grieving the loss of FP and JB together. She'd avoided coming home from the moment she was allowed into the Yale Freshman dorms until Christmas the following year, giving Jughead a chance to return that he'd never taken, but finally started coming back for holidays and other big events starting her Sophomore year when Polly had finally been well enough to take care of the twins and Alice had insisted on a proper family holiday.

Jughead had never returned, though she'd overhead a phone call or two with his sister and father who were gone now, leaving the love of her life dangerously close to truly becoming alone in the world. As much as it made her feel jealous she was glad V had kept in touch with him, a fact she had only heard third hand from Kevin when they occasionally talked these days, and her former bestie had clearly been there for him today.

But right now she was focused on the text from Adam, who she had met after graduating Yale and was apparently in Riverdale to find her with an update on the biker gang from Pennsylvania they had been looking into that couldn't wait till she returned to work next week. He'd decided to follow their latest delivery route, quietly looking into their recently changed behavior as they had been for the past several weeks.

It was Adam who had taken one of Jughead's places... her new partner in investigations and writing... and had made no secret of his desire to claim at least a few other others as well, and while she didn't deny he was cute and honestly wouldn't be a bad option if she were looking for someone new she simply couldn't do that, especially after seeing Jughead arrive with Ronnie and not some new girl that had taken his wounded heart. If there was even a chance to get him back she couldn't move on from the one boy she'd ever truly loved.

After what felt like hours of sitting on the couch and contemplating her life, there was a knock at the red door and she got up to get it, her mother wandering in from the kitchen with a glass of wine and curious expression, asking with obvious hope "Is that Jughead?"

"No, it's Adam, my... coworker... " Betty replied with a slight eye roll. Something about being in this house made her feel like a teenager again and not in a good way. She opened the door and let Adam in, his tall lean body stepping past her as he smiled warmly and greeted her mother.

"You must be Betty's mother, she's told me so much about you" he said politely, and just the slightest bit too eager to please, as he shook her hand.

"Only good things I hope" the older blonde replied without much enthusiasm, turning towards her daughter and saying "I think I'm going to head upstairs for a nap dear" as she hugged Betty again, clearly more affectionate the usual in her grief.

Betty led her partner to the dining room table, where he set his bag down and began discussing his research as he took out his laptop, detailing the towns he'd driven through, interviewing diner waitresses and gas station cashiers. "So it seems they have a new guy in charge. From what I've pieced together he was in prison till about six months ago, got out and his old gang was just... gone... so he took up with the Demon Dawgs and slowly started taking over, getting influence and killing at least one former leader"

The blonde nodded, leaning over but not quite touching him as she looked at the notes. "Who is he? Did you get a name?"

"Not sure, the people I talked to heard at least two names used and some titles and nicknames. The one thing I did hear that made me hurry over here, is from a waitress in Centerville who said her diner was nice, and I quote... 'not a shithole like Pop's back home'... and obviously I remember you talking about Pop's here in Riverdale... you've had some gangs around here that have died out, right?"

"Yeah... shit he's probably an ex-Ghoulie or Gargoyle... " Betty murmured, looking at Adam and asking "Any pictures? What names did you hear?"

"No pics that I could get my hands on but he's tall, long curly hair, quite built. I've heard the names Malachi and Martinez used but haven't had the chance to check on records for anyone from Riverdale with those names though... " he replied, glancing over as he trailed off, but Betty was halfway out of her seat by the time he finished. "Cooper, what's going on?" he asked as he turned to watch her leave.

"I know who it is and what he wants. You should probably get out of town but if you insist on staying get a room at the Five Seasons and text me either way" she said in a rush, hurrying right out the door and texting Kevin to see if he could confirm where Veronica was, knowing she was the the fastest way to find Jughead and warn him what he was up against.

What **they** were up against if she had anything to say about the matter.


End file.
